Exchange Students Settle into Life

From
left, Kim Schroeder-Evans and Kelly Evans are hosting Jeanne Remacle and Francesca
Ballini in their home for the time being. The host family gets along well and
intends on going to Disneyland soon. Photo by Nicolas Brown

DIXON,
CA (MPG) – Two high school students from Europe have begun a year-long stay in
Dixon through the American Field Service (AFS) foreign exchange program,
marking the first time the city has hosted American Field Service students
since 2017.

According
to Kim Schroeder-Evans, President of the Dixon Historical Society, it is an
exciting experience.

“I
think it’s exciting because I’ve been a student, a host sister and now a host
parent,” said Schroeder-Evans. “I still keep in touch with my Belgian host
family, my AFS sister from Denmark and my AFS cousin who lived with my family
in Winters.”

Francesca
Ballini, from northern Italy, and Jeanne Remacle, from the French-speaking
region of Belgium, arrived in August and are currently attending Dixon High
School while living with local host parents Kim and Kelly.

Kelly
Evans and Kim Schroeder-Evans went through an extensive application and onboarding
process, and are both excited and prepared for the experience. Jeanne Remacle
and Francesca Ballini first met the couple digitally over Zoom but all four reported
feeling a connection almost immediately. Photo courtesy of Kim Schroeder-Evans

“I’ve
wanted to do an exchange since I was 11,” said Ballini. “My mom’s cousin works
for AFS and we thought it was the best agency for this kind of experience.”

Remacle
learned about this opportunity through school. 

“I
thought this would make me really independent,” Remacle said. “If I can do
this, I can go anywhere. I chose AFS because it seemed like the best option.”

Both
students said school life in the U.S. is vastly different from their home
countries. 

“We
don’t usually have homework in Belgium,” said Remacle. “And I was surprised
that people knew where Belgium was and what the capital is.”

Ballini
noted the differences in teacher-student relationships. 

 “In Europe, we have to be professional with
our teachers. But here, they ask about our weekends and how our day is. That
was so weird at first but cool for me.” Ballini said.

The
girls also commented on the cultural surprises they’ve encountered, such as
Remacle trying a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for the first time or
Ballini’s introduction to cheerleading.

“I
tried a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for the first time,” said Remacle. “I
thought it would be disgusting but it’s actually really good.”

Ballini
joined the cheerleading team, something she had dreamed of since seeing
American high schools in TV shows. 

“It’s
the dream of all Italian girls,” said Ballini.

Two
high school students from Europe, Francesca Ballini of Italy (left) and Jeanne
Remacle of Belgium, have begun a year-long stay in Dixon through the American
Field Service (AFS) foreign exchange program, marking the first time the city
has hosted American Field Service students since 2017. Photo by Nicolas Brown

Their
host parents, Kim and Kelly Evans, said the process of becoming a host family
was thorough. 

“You
fill out an extensive application, go through interviews and background
checks,” explained Kim. “We specifically asked for two students and were
matched with Remacle and Ballini. We felt we had similar interests.”

Evans
and Schroeder-Evans are both well-versed in this role, Evans having spent the
first 22 years of his life in the United Kingdom and Schroeder-Evans having
previous experiences and relationships with the American Field Service program.

The
girls will stay in Dixon through June. In the coming weeks, they’ll join other American
Field Service students on a whitewater rafting trip and travel to Disneyland
with their host family.

Residents
interested in hosting or studying abroad can learn more at afsusa.org or by
contacting local coordinator Carol McCauley. 

“It’s
a volunteer-based program,” said Kim Schroeder-Evans. “We open our hearts and
homes and it’s life-changing for everyone involved.”